A monster knight combines the fighting ability of the cavalier with the eidolon of a summoner.

Background

A monster knight is a martial character that has a pact with a powerful supernatural creature, called an eidolon mount. The monster knight and his eidolon makes a perfect fighting team, each complimenting the abilities of the other. The pact between them is at the core of their lives, and is often the result of a momentous event or heritage. Some eidolon mounts have been longstanding allies of the summoner's family for generations, for others the bond happened at birth, because of an astrological conjunction, or a chance meeting.
The monster knight is not a mage. Besides the bond to the eidolon mount, the monster knight has little magic; no spells and few supernatural abilities. Rather than arcane students, summoners-at-arms are warriors touched by magic.

Class Features

The monster knight has all the summoner's class features, except as noted.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Summoners-at-arms are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and with shields (except tower shields).

No Spells

Monster knights cannot cast spells, do not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items except by using the Use Magic Device skill.

Challenge

Once per day, a monster knight can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the monster knight chooses one target within sight to challenge. The monster knight’s melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the monster knight’s level.
The monster knight can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
A monster knight also gains a +1 attack bonus on attacks on a challenged target. This attack bonus increases by one at level seven and every 6 levels thereafter (+2 at level 7, +3 at level 13, and +4 at level 19).
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends.
This replaces summon monster.

Eidolon Mount

A monster knight begins play with the services of a powerful creature called an eidolon mount. The eidolon mount formed a pact with the monster knight for reasons that need not be entirely clear. This is the same as the summoner's eidolon ability except as noted here. The eidolon mount gains the mount evolution as a bonus evolution at first level. Unlike normal eidolons, eidolon mounts heal naturally over time, and count time not summoned as rest with Heal care. The eidolon mount must have the quadruped or serpentine base form. (If using Everyman Unchained: Eidolons, the eidolon mount's base form can be aquatic, avian, quadruped, serpentine, or tauric.) An eidolon mount can always choose a quadruped base form (bite, limbs [legs, 2]). A monster knight riding his eidolon mount ignores any armor check penalty to the Ride skill. This is a modification of the eidolon ability.

Native Eidolon Mounts

Some summoners-at-arms have a pact with a monster that is not extra-dimensional but instead native to the same plane as the summoner. The monster knight can take the monster ally archetype, even tough both archetypes modify the eidolon ability.

Order (Ex)

The monster knight gains the cavalier's order ability, including edicts, challenge benefits, skill benefits, and order abilities at level 2, 8, and 15. Order abilities affecting a cavalier's mount instead affect a monster knight's eidolon mount. Order abilities that apply to cavalier class features the monster knight does not have (like greater banner) are lost. This replaces bond senses, transposition, and merge forms abilities.

Strong Fortitude Save

The monster knight has a fortitude save in the good category, with the same base save bonus as his Will save.

Focused Charge (Ex)

At 3rd level, a monster knight learns to make focused mounted charge attacks. The monster knight receives a +4 bonus on melee attack rolls on a mounted charge (instead of the normal +2). In addition, the monster knight does not suffer any penalty to his AC after making a charge attack while mounted. If the monster knight is mounted on his eidolon, his mount also gains these benefits. This replaces shield ally.

Monster Tactics (Ex)

At level 5, the eidolon mount gains any tactical feats the monster knight learns as bonus feats, ignoring all prerequisites. The monster knight gains a feat he fulfills the prerequisites for as a bonus feat at level 5, 12, and 17. These feats must be selected from combat or tactical feats. This replaces greater shield ally and gate.

Mascot (Ex)

At 9th level, the monster knight's eidolon mount becomes a symbol of inspiration. As long as the eidolon mount is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge.

Mighty Charge (Ex)

At 11th level, a monster knight learns to make devastating charge attacks when mounted. Double the threat range of any weapons wielded during a mounted charge. This increase does not stack with other effects that increase the threat range of the weapon. In addition, when changing while mounted, the monster knight can make a free bull rush, disarm, sunder, or trip combat maneuver if his charge attack is successful. This free combat maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Supreme Charge (Ex)

At 20th level, whenever the monster knight makes a charge attack while mounted, he deals double the normal amount of damage (triple if using a lance). In addition, if the monster knight confirms a critical hit on a charge attack while mounted, the target is stunned for 1d4 rounds. A Will save reduces this to staggered for 1d4 rounds. The DC is equal to 10 + the monster knight’s base attack bonus.
This replaces twin eidolon.

Table: Monster Knight

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Special

1st

+0

+2

+0

+2

Challenge +1, eidolon mount, life link, order

2nd

+1

+3

+0

+3

Order ability

3rd

+2

+3

+1

+3

Focused charge

4th

+3

+4

+1

+4

Challenge 2/day

5th

+3

+4

+1

+4

Monster tactics

6th

+4

+5

+2

+5

Maker's call

7th

+5

+5

+2

+5

Challenge +2 3/day

8th

+6/+1

+6

+2

+6

Order ability

9th

+6/+1

+6

+3

+6

Mascot

10th

+7/+2

+7

+3

+7

Aspect, challenge 4/day

11th

+8/+3

+7

+3

+7

Mighty charge

12th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Monster tactics feat

13th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Challenge +3 5/day

14th

+10/+5

+9

+4

+9

Life bond

15th

+11/+6/+1

+9

+5

+9

Order ability

16th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

Challenge 6/day

17th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

Monster tactics feat

18th

+13/+8/+3

+11

+6

+11

Greater aspect

19th

+14/+9/+4

+11

+6

+11

Challenge +4 7/day

20th

+15/+10/+5

+12

+6

+12

Supreme charge

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

Skills

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Spells

Cantrips

Bond Senses

Summon Monster

Shield Ally

Transposition

Greater Shield Ally

Merge Forms

Gate

Twin Eidolon

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